Next-Generation Manufacturing Process Designed for Enhanced Product
Potency and Activity

SANTA MONICA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
Kite Pharma, Inc. (Nasdaq:KITE), a leading cell therapy company, today
announced the submission of an Investigational New Drug (IND)
application with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to initiate
a Phase 1, first-in-human trial of KITE-585, a CAR-T cell therapy
engineered to target B-cell maturation antigen (BCMA) in patients with
relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma.

"KITE-585 has the potential to become Kite's next significant advance in
cell therapy for patients with cancer. It is the result of an extensive
preclinical development effort that included candidate screening,
engineering, and testing by Kite's internal research team and it
reflects the company's deep experience in CAR design and cellular
therapeutics," said David Chang, M.D., Ph.D., Executive Vice President
of Research and Development and Chief Medical Officer of Kite. "As we
look ahead, we are confident that the cutting-edge design and
manufacturing process of KITE-585 together with our proven capability
with engineered T cells will support rapid execution of the clinical
program."

BCMA is expressed on the surface of malignant plasma cells in most
patients with multiple myeloma. In addition, it is found on normal
plasma cells and certain mature B-cell lineage cells but is absent from
other tissues. Because BCMA has been shown to play a potential role in
survival and growth of myeloma cells, it is viewed as an attractive CAR
T-cell therapeutic target.

About KITE-585

KITE-585 is an anti-BCMA CAR construct designed for high binding
affinity to BCMA expressed on the cell surface. KITE-585 contains a
receptor derived from a fully human monoclonal antibody and a CD28
costimulatory domain intended for optimized T-cell expansion and
function. In preclinical studies, KITE-585 demonstrated activity across
a range of low and high BCMA expressing targets and its activity was not
impaired by soluble BCMA. In the presence of cell-bound BCMA, KITE-585
induced polyfunctional T cell expansion, and no tonic signaling in its
absence. Advanced processes and materials used in the manufacturing of
KITE-585 are designed to achieve enhanced cell potency.

About Multiple Myeloma

Multiple myeloma is a cancer of plasma cells in the bone marrow, which
make antibodies to fight infections. Abnormal plasma cells can grow out
of control and suppress the growth of other cells in the bone marrow.
This suppression may result in bone damage, anemia, excessive bleeding,
and a decreased ability to fight infection. In 2017, there will be an
estimated 30,280 new cases of multiple myeloma in the United States and
12,590 deaths due to the disease. Approximately half of patients survive
five years after being diagnosed with multiple myeloma.1

About Kite

Kite is a biopharmaceutical company engaged in the development of
innovative cancer immunotherapies with a goal of providing rapid,
long-term durable response and eliminating the burden of chronic care.
The company is focused on chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) and T cell
receptor (TCR) engineered cell therapies designed to empower the immune
system's ability to recognize and kill tumors. Kite is based in Santa
Monica, CA. For more information on Kite, please visit www.kitepharma.com.
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Cautionary Note on Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements for purposes of
the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform
Act of 1995. The press release may, in some cases, use terms such as
"predicts," "believes," "potential," "proposed," "continue,"
"estimates," "anticipates," "expects," "plans," "intends," "may,"
"could," "might," "will," "should" or other words that convey
uncertainty of future events or outcomes to identify these
forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements include
statements regarding intentions, beliefs, projections, outlook, analyses
or current expectations concerning, among other things: the ability to
advance and the success of KITE-585, the ability to rapidly execute the
KITE-585 clinical program, and the ability of Kite's manufacturing
process and materials to enhance product potency and activity. Various
factors may cause differences between Kite's expectations and actual
results as discussed in greater detail in Kite's filings with the
Securities and Exchange Commission, including without limitation in its
Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2017. Any forward-looking
statements that are made in this press release speak only as of the date
of this press release. Kite assumes no obligation to update the
forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information,
future events or otherwise, after the date of this press release.